Manufacturing Economy

Exports:

The auto industry is America’s largest exporter. Over the past six years, automakers and suppliers have exported over $775 billion worth of vehicles and parts. They beat the next best performing sector (aerospace) by $125 billion. Last year alone, automakers and suppliers out-exported the aerospace industry by $6 billion.

Raw Materials and Parts:

The U.S. auto industry is one of the largest consumers of domestic raw materials and parts. Last year, automakers sold more than 17 million cars in the U.S., and each contained between 8,000 to 12,000 parts, using more than 3,000 pounds of iron, steel, rubber, glass and semiconductors. Approximately 734,000 Americans work at the plants, offices and research labs that produce those parts and materials.

American Research & Development:

Designing those 8,000 to 12,000 auto parts and helping put them together makes autos among the most engineering-intensive industries in the world. In fact, seven out of the world’s top 25 corporate investors in research and development are automakers. FCA US, Ford and General Motors each invest more each year on research and development than HP, Boeing, and AT&T – and 80 cents of every dollar they invest in research and development is spent here in the U.S. Thanks largely to this investment, nearly one in 10 engineers and scientists in private sector R&D work for an automaker or auto supplier.

Market Share vs. Jobs Share vs. Parts Share

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV has reported that Jeep sales have hit a record high and on the rise in the US, and minivans have also been increasing in popularity.

The vehicle manufacturer reported that its automobile sales in May was 204,452 in May alone, thus marking the 74th consecutive year where the company has registered gains year over year. Fiat Chrysler also reported record Jeep sales in the same month where it sold 90,000 units. This is the first time that the firm has made such high Jeep sales in the 75 years that it has been in operation.

Chrysler officially introduces the brand’s adorable, pint-sized product specialists, the PacifiKids, through a new digital and social campaign that features actress Brooklyn Decker (Netflix’s “Grace and Frankie”) in its inaugural video.

Given that the all-new 2017 Chrysler Pacifica is the most technologically advanced vehicle in its class, moms and dads will undoubtedly have many questions about the minivan, and who better to explain technology, tri-pane panoramic sunroofs and touchscreens than kids!

General Motors will add production of its Chevrolet Silverado 1500 crew cab at the Flint Assembly plant beginning in 2017. The light duty truck is currently produced in Mexico. Flint Assembly also produces the heavy-duty Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup trucks.

It’s easy to see that the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica is changing how we look at the minivan segment. Not only has it recruited the hilarious Jim Gaffigan to pitch it to other dads, but it offers some features that the segment has never seen before—including a hybrid powertrain, which will come later this year.

Because of its ground-breaking approach to being a family car, it shouldn’t come as any surprise that the 2017 Pacifica was recently named the Overall Best Family Car at the Greater Atlanta Automotive Media Association’s (GAAMA) 2016 Family Car Challenge.

Not many automotive manufacturers have a history as long or as notable as Jeep’s. The first Willys-Overland rolled off the production line in the beginning of 1941 after the U.S. military turned to the auto industry for a light, tough, off-road capable vehicle to aid the Allies in World War II. Since that first offering, Jeep has endeavored to keep that trait of “go anywhere” inherent in every SUV the company builds.